Strip-metal-bending machine



MarCh 3, 1931. D, sMiTH 1,795,151

'STRIP METAL BENDING MACHINE Filed March 7, 1929 I 2 Sheets-Sheet l March 3, 1931. D. SMITH 1,795,151

STRIP METAL BENDING MACHINE Filed March 7, 1929 2 Shee'tS-Shee' 2 Timer/Z271 Patented Mar. 3, 1931 PATENT OFFICE DANIEL SMITH, ,0F WOLVERHAMPTON, ENGLAND STRIP-METAL-BENDING- MACHINE 4 Application mea March 7, 1929, serial No.A 345,085, and in Great Britain March s, 192s.

This invention relates to machines for shaping strips of metal to any suitable crosssection and for bending the same into a circular or coiled coniiguration; and is particularly applicable in connection with the production of the rims of motor vehicle hand steering wheels and tubular coils.

According to the present improvements, a strip of metal is passed through means for Vf `shaping the same into a suitable cross-section, to a coiling device which pulls the strip of metal through the said shaping means. The coiling device comprises aquadrant or like i member having a circular or other circum- 15v ference and the strip of metal after leaving the said shaping tools is gripped on the quadrant'so that the rotation of the quadrant bends the strip round its'periphery or cir- ,l cumference, whilst alsoV pulling the same through the cross-sectional shaping tools. In the case .of a tubular or similar shaped member the metal isstretched on the outer side so that its shape will not be vdamaged as itis t bent round'the quadrant or like coiling member. The quadrant is oscillated' and the gripping lmeans are released on the backward movement and applied on the forward or feed movement. A- coiled length of' tubing or other shaped stripv of the required cross-seclengths are cut to form the rim of the wheel or other circular `or other form of spiral article'. i l Referring to the drawings Figure 1 isa side elevation of a machine constructed according to 'thisinventiom Figure 2 is an end view, i Figure 3 is a plan, Figures 4, 5 and 6 are sections throughthe lo tubeV shaping rolls, Figure 7 is a side elevation of the means for driving the rolls, and

Figure 8 is a plan view of the parts shown by Figure 7. i 1 i 4f; According to a convenient embodiment, the invention is applied to the production of rims for the steering Awheels of motor vehicles. The machine comprises a frame A in which are mounted two pairs of spindles, each pair of which are geared together respectively by tional shape is thus produced from which the pairs of gear wheels la, 1, and B, 3b. Rolls are mounted'on the ends of the spindles projecting from the front face of the frame, the rst and second pairs of rolls being numbered respectively 1 and 8. An intermediate bottom roll 2 is also provided. A mandrel 4 passes between the rolls. A- flat strip of metal is fed through the machine and the :rst pair of rolls l, as shown by Figure 4, give a preliminary curl to the strip `of metal. The second bottom roll, as shown by Figure 5, further curls the metal around the mandrel 4 which is shaped as shown by Figure 5, the flat portion opposite the roller 2 allowing the metal to curl thereover, and a lubricator .2b being adapted to intermittently drop oil on the metal strip at this operation. The third pair of rolls 3 applies the finish to the cross sectional shape. The cross sectional shape of the rim `of the wheel may for instance be oval, with the major axis lying parallel to the plane of the wheel and with the joint on the inside. The joint may be on the outside in the case of some gauges ofV metal. A mandrel 4 passes through the shaping tools and the metal strip isbent therearound.

quadrant 5 is fixed to the shaft 6 and has a groove 7 in the periphery adapted to receive the shaped strip of metal. A clamp 8 is adapted to bind the metal on the quadrant 5 'so that when the quadrant is rotated, the

metal is pulled through the aforementioned rolls. The clamping member has a groove 9 therein shaped to receive the metal strip so that the groove in the quadrant and the groove in the clamp are of a similar shape to the rim of the wheel. The quadrant has two arms 10 proj ecting radially therefrom between which the clamp is located and slidably mounted thereon in the slots 11. A link 12 is pivotally connected to the lower end of these arms 10 and such link is jointed to a connecting rod 13 driven by the disc 14. The upper end of the link 12 is extended beyond the joint to the arms 10 carried by the quadrant, and this extended end is connected by a link 15 to the clamp. The quadrant `therefore is oscillated and on the coiling or power stroke the clamp 8 is forced into the gripping position by means of the toggle link arrangement justment by'means oi aring which is-.iixedv yto the spindle 16 and has a number of perforations therearound so that any `one of theholes -may bepinned to one of the arms 10. The connecting'rod v18 operatingthe quadrant is mounted ina block 18 adjustable in aradial slot in thegear wheel 14 mounted onthe stub axle 19. The gear wheel 14 is v driven by the gear wheel 2O mounted on the shaft 21, which carries the lgear wheel 22 lneshingvwit-h the gear'wheel 23 on the belt pulley shaft.y The Vspindle 6.on which the quadrant 'is mounted "isalso carried by an adjustable bearingblocln toY provide for the fitting of Iv arioussized quadrants inV accorda-nce Awith the curvature or form to which the tube is to bebentf The three bending rolls yao 1,52 and V3aredriven during the feed or power stroke ofthe quadrantjand tor this purpose the roll spindles are driven by. a chain 24 which engages over sprocket wheels mounted Onzthe spindles of the bottom roll of the pairs j liandf'; c A ybalrf25 is adapted to rest on the upper run of this chain, and 4 such bar carries a `pivoted pawl-26 for engaging .between the linksdof the chain. The end of this bar is coupled by an adjustable link 27 to an arm 28 mounted onl the quadrant spindle 6. rlhe length of this arm isin accordance with the radius of thequadrant 5. kWhen therefore the quadrant 5 is moving `on the power stroke,

thepawl26 engages the chainl and positively rotates the rolls. Gn the return stroke vthe pawl rides over Ithe chain. AThe pawl 26 aforementioned. is m'ounted'in a slot in the comparatively' heavy bar 25 so-.that the 4 arrangement,ismaintained steady, and there will benoyliability ofthe p'awl becoming disengaged during the driving stroke. The gear wheels. 3b and 2 are geared `together 'by the gear Wheel .Wand-the Wheels Zand -lbfare geared togetherbythe wheelOnV i f vThe mandrelk 'projects beyond the third pair of rolls and slightly beyond the Vvertical line passing from ytheaxis'ot the quadrant 5,. WhenthererfQrethe metal strip is gripped on the v quadrant f and pulled therearound, the Outer side' of' the tube pulling over the end ofthe mandrel is stretched nto' allow for the increasedV llength at the .Outer periphery,

Y thereby ensuring that the rim will have a per- Vfectly smooth surface.

The 'coiled tube is passedovert-he bar 34. Y f 'i The machine lthus shapesa yfla-t strip of 1 meta-liuto atube'v and Hatterwards bends the tube into a predetermined form or curvature. The tube is thus bent continuously into a circular configuration, and therefore assumes the Vshape of a close coiled tube; a length of tube corresponding to one complete turn, can be cut ofi' the coil and the ends joined together toform the rim of a, steering `wheel or the like. Y j Y rlvhe quadrant 5 has a guide member 81, having the guide opening 32, Xed thereon toguide the tube Yontothe quadrant. A ,bracket 33` may alsobe provided to support the portion of the mandrel 4 projecting beyond therollers The means orshaping 4the strip into tube or otherY crossfsection may be considerablymodiiiedg' 1While theinvention has been Aparticularly described toproduce circular coils, the coiling'device be-[arrange-d to form other than r`circular coils, orfinstance the shape ot each turn may ybe "of a Asquare coniguration with thecorners rounded. Claims:y Y 1. .Means for. shaping astrip of metal -into tubular form in cross-section comprising shaping rolls, and a mandrel; overwhich the tube is shaped, in; combination with means for ceiling or bending thegtube thus formed comprising a quadrantuorV member, means for ,oscillating said member, andimeansdor automatically gripping;thetubeto said mein-Y ber konthe working stroke whichigripping means are automatically releaSSd 0n thereturn stroke, andmeans for stretchingvthe tube on its outer side as it passes .onta the quadrantY comprising-,the end et Vthe said mandrel overY wli-icliyhe eIll of thef-tube is Pulled. u .1"

, 2. Means tor shaping a strip lof metal into tubular form inl cross-sectionk comprising shaping rolls yin combination with means for ceiling 'the tube thus 'formed comprising-a quadrant, means Vfor oscillating said-quadrant, means for- .fautomatically gripping the tube to said member onthe working stroke 'for Pulling the tube therearoundwhh gripping m'ean'sare automatically released on the return stroke, and means for intermittently driving the said; Shapingrol'ls -onthe working stroke of the quadrant throughthe'medium'. of mechanism oscillating] with the quadrant. A

Means for shaping a strip of metal vinto tubular formgini lcross-.section Y.comprising shaping rolls in combination with means for Y coling the "tube thus* formed' comprising e `cillating the quadrant, arms carryingthe shaping rolls, a bar resting on the chain and having a pawl for engaging the links of the chain, and an arm oscillating with the said quadrant and connected to the bar.

4:. Means for shaping a strip of metal into a suitable cross-section, in combination with means for coiling the tube thus formed, comprising a quadrant, aconnectin rod for osxed to the quadrant and coupled to the end of the connecting rod by a connecting link, a gripping device slidably mounted in the arms fixed to the quadrant, and a toggle link connected specification.

DANIEL SMITH. 

